


When Dusk Falls

by 18celestial_rae18



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:46:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24769501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/18celestial_rae18/pseuds/18celestial_rae18
Summary: In a time where so many last ever's are being had, Kenma wants time to stop. Little does he know that Kuroo wants the same thing. For graduation always arrived too soon.
Relationships: Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou
Kudos: 24





	When Dusk Falls

The Tokyo sky on that evening was a romantic, blushing pink. The sun was dulled and hazed, but ever-glowing. And the clouds were transparent, but fluffy and like a thin veil against the backdrop of pink. To Kenma, it was the same sky that he barely glimpsed at, for he knew it was always there every evening when they would finish volleyball practice. And that was the exact situation he was in now. Yet it didn't feel like any other evening.

"Don't you cry on us, Tora!! Otherwise we'll totally be letting that Karasuno manager know about it!" The third years jeered playfully to their junior: but in truth, the waterworks weren't exactly far away for Yaku, Kai, and.. Kuroo.

Kenma would always sigh at their unnecessarily noisy antics. Peace and quiet was what the reserved setter preferred. And in a way, his heart wanted to sigh at the regular nonsense that was proceeding right now. Secretly, a part of him even felt irritated. Not the usual irritation, a different kind of irritation. One that found great annoyance in the futile attempts to make their last volleyball practice together feel like it was just another day.

Kenma always knew the day would come. Their last practice session together. But now that it was here, it felt far too soon. Where did all of those afternoons go, of hiding in the cleaning closet with his DS, so he could avoid the diving drills Kuroo would insist they do?

"Besides! It's not the last time we'll all be on the court together, we still have that friendly match tomorrow." Kuroo reminded, as he locked up the gym and swung the keyring around his first finger, before clasping the keys in his closed fist. "Rest assured that we'll be going out with a boom." He held that same fist out to his teammates, that sly and crafty grin flashing. across Kuroo's face. 

Again, Kenma wanted to sigh. He was all but expecting this from Kuroo. Being their captain and all, he'd be the last to admit to the melancholy of the situation they all found themselves in. He insisted on being the backbone, the shoulder for the sensitive first and second years to cry on. In a way, that irritated Kenma, too. Kuroo was too selfless. Supporting others, and never admitting when he needed his hand to be held. Not even to himself.

"K-Kuroo-saaaan, but-!"

"No but's! Now move along already, get home and eat a proper dinner. We've got a train to catch." Kuroo's hand came down on to Kenma's shoulder, moving to start walking along their typical route to the station. Kenma simply looked down at his DS, hair falling into his face. He gave no verbal response, but his stride fell into step with Kuroo's. Or more like, Kuroo had accommodated his pace to match Kenma's smaller steps, and the setter's ultimately slower pace. But what was there to do about it? Kenma couldn't focus on his game and walk quickly at the same time. Years together had proven to Kuroo that this was just how it'd have to be. Not that he minded. Especially tonight, he'd do anything to make this walk home a little longer. Just a little longer.

.

.

.

Walking in silence had never felt awkward for Kenma and Kuroo. They were more then familiar with each other's presence by this point. So used to one another's exhales, so used to the rustling sound of Kuroo re-adjusting his school bag strap over his shoulder. But of course, Kuroo's interspersed chatter was the ambience that Kenma had grown the most accustomed to. 

Tonight, Kuroo spoke of the typical things. Of Lev's mediocre-at-best receives, of how reliable Yaku was as their libero. "I can definitely see how much pressure Yuki's feeling to take over from Yaku, but he's far more capable than he thinks he is." Kuroo observed idly, and Kenma gave his usual small nods or shrugs in response, eyes stuck on his game. But tonight. Tonight he felt the urge to say more. 

"It won't.." _It won't ever feel the same as it does now._ Kenma began, but then thought better of it, and abandoned the sentence, focusing even more intensely on his game. But the two words hadn't escaped Kuroo's notice, and of course, the taller male pursued them.

"It won't what? C'mon, don't leave me hanging like that." Kuroo encouraged Kenma. Out of everyone on the team, Kuroo valued Kenma's opinions the most. He was their brain, after all. Logical and essential. And to Kuroo, so much more than that. 

Kenma just shook his head, denying Kuroo's small nudge to finish his sentence. But he did stop walking, and looked to his childhood friend. Naturally, Kuroo stopped walking after taking a few steps and noticing Kenma wasn't by his side any longer. The captain of Nekoma swiveled on his heel to look at his friend, head slightly tilted to one side. "You tired? We're almost at the station, you can sleep on the way home." Kuroo blinked.

Kenma shook his head, hiding behind his hair and eyes avoiding Kuroo now. "I'm not tired.." He softly mumbled, quiet as a mouse, but Kuroo always heard him. Always.

Kuroo looked at Kenma with a neutral expression, but had an air of seriousness about him. Of course they both knew. It had been hanging over their heads, neither of them game enough to say it. Kenma because he was too shy and reticent to do so, and Kuroo, because he knew Kenma was too awkward for those conversations. 

But perhaps it was time for that talk. Kuroo took a breath, stepping in closer. "Kenma, just because it was the last-"

Kenma inhaled sharply, gripping his DS tight enough to turn his knuckles white. Noticing this was what had caused Kuroo to cut himself off, and fall back into silence. All that could be heard was the wind rustling through the leaves of the trees, and the sounds of their heartbeats.

"I don't like it." Kenma mumbled yet again, shaking his head once to himself, eyes set at Kuroo's feet. Kuroo stayed silent, until Kenma spoke again. "I don't like seeing you act as everyone's rock. I don't like you trying to make it feel like things won't be different from now on. I don't like listening to you talk about the team as if you aren't leaving soon. I-" Kenma could feel himself becoming more and more worked up, his gaze now on Kuroo. He trembled all over, heartbeat in his ears. He couldn't hear a thing, aside from that fast drumming. 

Kuroo puffed out a breath, taking a half-step closer to his best friend. "Would you prefer to see me as a tearful wreck? This is the most that I can do for them all, despite my.. leaving." Kuroo kept his eyes on Kenma, only seeing him. "I'm still Nekoma's captain, if only for another week. And I decided that the blood will keep flowing smoothly, instead of having us all collapse into a crying mess."

Kenma grit his teeth, amber eyes flashing with even more vivid emotion than before upon hearing Kuroo's words. "You.. what is it with you, always having to act so tough for? Why can't you just admit.. that it hurts.." Kenma finally looked down again, still shaky.

But before he could even blink, the setter felt a rush of warmth envelope him.

.

.

.

Kuroo and Kenma rarely hugged. They weren't the type for that kind of physical affection, not when they already knew how important they were to one another. Through small ways, they let each other know. By Kenma letting Kuroo guide him around whenever he gamed and walked, so he wouldn't crash into things. By Kuroo offering Kenma a towel or a drink of water before taking one for himself. By holding on to the hem of Kuroo's jacket whenever Kenma got spooked by an overly-friendly player from another team.

But this hug, it was one that Kenma didn't shove off or try to squirm out of. Kuroo was a warm person, even his body provided the kind of heat that his personality held in spades. "It hurts." Kuroo confessed, squeezing Kenma a little tighter. "It hurts like hell." His voice quivered, but he held on to Kenma so the blonde couldn't see his face. "I'll miss everything about the way life is right now. I wish.. I could kick and scream, just to get time to stop. But I can't. All I can do.. is keep being your captain, if only for a little longer." Kuroo's voice was filled with a kind of bittersweet emotion Kenma had rarely seen from his best friend, and it caused the blonde's heart to stutter. 

"You.." Kenma whispered into Kuroo's chest. He slowly hugged Kuroo back, closing his eyes tightly. A shard of guilt pierced Kenma's chest. He had wanted to see Kuroo express some kind of true emotion about graduation, but now that it was unfolding before his eyes, Kenma knew it was the last thing he actually wanted. To see Kuroo upset.. for Kenma, it was possibly the worst thing in this world. 

"I'm barely keeping it together, y'know. I don't doubt it'll hit me sooner or later, but I don't wanna have that happen in front of them. It'll just make them feel worse." Kuroo smiled sadly, rubbing in between Kenma's slim shoulders. "It'd make you feel worse, too."

Kenma peered up at Kuroo from where he'd been hidden away in his shirt, blinking once. "It would. But.. I wouldn't.. mind." Time and time again, Kuroo had been there for Kenma whenever he had needed him. So during a pivotal time like this, Kenma wanted to do the same. "You're annoying, when you act so noble. So even if you cry.. I wouldn't mind."

Kuroo gave a soft chuckle, nodding as he kept rubbing Kenma's back. "Mm. I'll keep it in mind, Ken."

The nickname caused Kenma's face to fill with a soft pink colour. "That's.. don't call me that." Kenma looked off to the side, but stayed in Kuroo's strong arms. There, he felt safe. And oddly.. reassured. Like everything just might be okay.

"Oho~? Why not? You're my Ken, aren't you?"

And although Kuroo wouldn't be getting a confession today, Kenma so was.

**Author's Note:**

> // Whew! I hope that you enjoyed this little fic that I wrote at like 2am in a random burst of inspiration, hehe. It's been a while since I've posted my writing, I actually debated just deleting this piece altogether, but I thought that if it can give any fellow KuroKen fan the nice fluffy fuzzies, it'd be well worth posting. c:  
> Thanks for reading! x


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